Sorbet Recipe

Prepare fruit purée (if needed)

If using whole fruit, wash and prepare it: peel and pit stone fruit, hull berries, or juice and zest citrus as appropriate. Blend the prepared fruit in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. For very fibrous fruits, press the purée through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds and fibers. Measure out 3 cups of the finished purée.

Make a simple syrup: combine the water and granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring, until the sugar fully dissolves and the syrup is clear. Remove from heat. Stir in the glucose or light corn syrup, if using, which helps produce a smoother sorbet by lowering the freezing point slightly.

Combine purée and syrup: in a bowl, mix the fruit purée with the cooled simple syrup. Add the fresh lemon juice and sea salt. Taste and adjust: the sorbet should taste slightly brighter and a little more tart than you want the finished product because freezing mutes flavor. If it tastes flat, add a teaspoon more lemon juice or a tablespoon more sugar, as needed.

Chill the mixture: cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture until very cold, at least 2 hours or overnight. Chilling improves texture and helps the churn freeze faster.

Churn the sorbet: pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft, scoopable consistency (typically 20–30 minutes).

Firm up in freezer: transfer the soft sorbet to a shallow, airtight container, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent ice crystals, and freeze for 2–4 hours to firm to scoopable texture.

If you don't have an ice cream maker: pour the chilled mixture into a shallow metal baking pan and place in the freezer. Every 30 minutes, vigorously scrape and stir the mixture with a fork or spatula to break up ice crystals and incorporate air. Repeat until smooth and scoopable, about 3–4 hours total.

Scoop and serve: let the sorbet sit at room temperature for 3–5 minutes to soften slightly for easier scooping. Use a warmed ice cream scoop for neat spheres.

Garnish: serve with fresh mint leaves and a few fresh berries or sliced fruit that match the sorbet flavor. Add a crisp cookie or tuile on the side if desired.

Storage: store sorbet in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. To refresh texture after long storage, let soften slightly at room temperature and whisk briefly before serving.